A dialysis method to enable a patient to undergo both peritoneal dialysis and extracorporeal blood treatments is disclosed. The method includes determining, via a base unit controller, whether a peritoneal dialysis treatment or an extracorporeal blood treatment is to be performed. If the peritoneal dialysis treatment is to be performed, the method includes operating first software instructions that cause a base unit to use a first fluid stored in a fluid container. If the extracorporeal blood treatment is to be performed, the method includes operating second software instructions that cause the base unit to use a second, different fluid from an online source and selectively move the second, different fluid to a blood treatment unit for use in the extracorporeal blood treatment. The blood treatment unit is operable with the base unit to perform the extracorporeal blood treatment on a patient.

An extracorporeal circulation blood or treatment device (100) comprising an arterial pressure sensor (112) and a blood pump (111) is set up to determine amplitude variation and frequency of the pressure signals received from said arterial pressure sensor (112), calculate a parameter value based on said amplitude variation and said frequency, and issue an alarm if the parameter value exceeds a pre-set threshold value. Such detection aims at monitoring the occurrence of oscillating pressure signals. Such signals indicate an increased risk for hemolysis.

A system and method for balancing flows of renal replacement fluid is disclosed. The method uses pressure controls and pressure sensing devices to more precisely meter and balance the flow of fresh dialysate and spent dialysate. The balancing system may use one or two balancing devices, such as a balance tube, a tortuous path, or a balance chamber.

A technology that provides various modular biomimetic microfluidic modules emulating varieties of microvasculature in body. These microfluidic-base capillaries and lymphatic Technology modules are constructed as multilayered-microfluidic microchannels of various shapes, and aspect ratios using diverse biocompatible microfluidic polymers. Then, various semipermeable membranes are sandwiched in between these multilayered microfluidic microchannels. These membranes have different chemical, physical characteristics and MWCO values. Consequently, this design will produce much smaller dimension channels similar to human vasculature to achieve biomimetic properties like of human organs and tissues. By interchanging microfluidic-layers or the membranes various diverse modules are designed that act as building blocks for constructing various medical devices, various forms of dialysis devices including albumin and lipid dialysis, water purification, bioreactors bio-artificial organ support systems. Connecting various modules in diverse combinations, permutations, in parallel ad/or in series to ultimately design many unrelated medical devices such as dialysis, bioreactors and organ support devices.

A dialysis system is configured to enable a patient to undergo both peritoneal dialysis and extracorporeal blood treatments. The example dialysis system includes a base unit configurable to provide a first fluid for use in preforming at least one peritoneal dialysis treatment at a first time. The base unit is further configurable to provide a second, different fluid for use in at least one extracorporeal blood treatment at a second, different time. The example dialysis system also includes a blood treatment unit configured to be docked to the base unit. The blood treatment unit includes a blood pump configured to pump blood from the patient to a blood filter and from the blood filter back to the patient. The blood filter or a blood line in communication with the blood filter receives the second fluid from the base unit for use in the at least one extracorporeal blood treatment.

An apparatus for extracorporeal treatment of blood (1) has a supply line (2), a waste line (13) and an ultrafilter (19; 70) inserted in the supply line (2). An air inlet line is connected to the first chamber (21; 72) of the ultrafilter (19; 70) and a pressure sensor (41) configured for detecting pressure in the waste line (13). A controller (50) is configured to carry out, with the hydraulic circuit (100) in by-pass configuration, an integrity test procedure for detecting if the ultrafilter membrane has multiple or single fiber breaks. A method of testing the ultrafilter (19; 70) is also disclosed.

An implantable or wearable kidney enclosure that is cylindrical, ovoid, or otherwise non-angular e.g., not rectangular or cuboid), having a circular or oval hemofilter that provides a blood flow pattern from an internal, central artery source radially outwards. Due to the efficient flow of the circular filter design, the enclosure can be made in a cylindrical low profile shape, resulting in a compact enclosure highly suitable for implantable and wearable dialysis applications.

Provided are a toxin separator and the like which are capable of selectively separating toxin present in a biological fluid by binding to protein, from the toxin and the protein. The toxin separator of the present invention also includes activated carbon of which a pore volume of pores having a pore diameter from 1.4 to 35 nm as measured by a nitrogen adsorption method is 0.06 cm.sup.3/g or greater.

Methods, systems, and devices are disclosed, embodiments of which provide single pass dialysis to remove water and uremic toxins is performed simultaneously with the albumin dialysis therapy by passing the albumin solution through a dialysis filter which dialyses it before the solution is returned to the cycler. In embodiments, the single pass dialysis stage is upstream of the albumin filtering stage.

Provided are a toxin separator and the like which are capable of selectively separating toxin present in a biological fluid by binding to protein, from the toxin and the protein. The toxin separator of the present invention also includes activated carbon of which a pore volume of pores having a pore diameter from 1.4 to 35 nm as measured by a nitrogen adsorption method is 0.06 cm.sup.3/g or greater.